Civil society groups are urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate AI companies for allegedly destroying physical copies of books used to train AI models. This practice has raised significant concerns, with critics drawing parallels to historical book burning, creating unease even among AI advocates.
According to a report by Axios, over a dozen civil society organizations, including the Demand Progress Education Fund and the Consumer Federation of America, are calling for action against what they describe as violations of antitrust law. They argue that the destruction of books limits available resources for competing AI agents.
The groups emphasize that the issue is particularly concerning with rare and older books, especially those published before 2022, which are less likely to have been generated by AI and are often better edited. Their letter to the FTC highlights that this practice represents an escalation in a documented pattern of anticompetitive behavior by major AI firms, aimed at creating barriers for new entrants in the market.
The letter states that this hoarding and destroying of books could increase costs for rival companies and hinder new startups from accessing critical material necessary for competing in the AI sector. This raises alarms about the implications for diversity and competition within the industry.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously described knowledge as a utility comparable to electricity and water. However, this perspective becomes troubling when it involves the systematic destruction of books, which serve as a vital repository of human knowledge. Many of these works remain accessible either at low cost or through local libraries.
Ultimately, the best defense against this troubling trend may not be ethical arguments but rather legal considerations regarding its impact on business competition.
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